On Business Done Differently Jesse Cole speaks with successful entrepreneurs who are standing out in business and in life by thinking differently. We believe that to stand out you have to take risks and challenge the status quo. On the show, we uncover the secret tips, tactics and characteristics of our guests with unusual questions and unique segments. This is not your typical business show asking typical interview questions.

Erik Seversen is a successful entrepreneur who's learned how to be successful through his life-long adventures. He’s ridden a motorcycle across the US, been to over 80 different countries, climbed mountains and lived with a remote tribe in the Amazon. He’s now the founder of Innovative Educational Services Group, a language entrepreneurial coaching service. He shares his stories through his writing and speaking. His new book, ‘Ordinary to Extraordinary’ comes out in July 2018.

“You’re defined by your own actions.” - Erik Seversen

Erik Seversen - Current Excitement

Erik was recently hired by a client to help him with one interview, he wound up getting the job, liked his few sessions with Erik and now Erik coaches him once per week! What’s exciting to Erik is the fact he's an intelligent guy, English is his second language and he's working in IT here in the States. Erik thinks he can take him to a whole new level with a few new techniques. Just thinking about helping him has got Erik really excited right now.

“One of the biggest things that has happened in my life is having to overcome fear.” - Erik Seversen

Start Me Up

Erik’s adventures began by taking advantage of doors that were opened for him. His first opportunity came at 18 when he wanted to ride his bike from Tacoma, Washington to Santa Barbara, California. His parents let him go with a guy a little older than him and gave him two weeks to cover the distance.

His companion made it to the border of Oregon and California, unfortunately, he had to return home for military reserve duty. Erik continued the last 100 miles on his own. He discovered that being alone, meeting new people and being afraid at times turned out to be a really great feeling. There was so much more than was in his backyard and he wanted more. This began his taste for adventure and he’s not done yet.

Final Four

What have you done differently in your life to stand out?

“Wearing the red pants of course and John Berger’s book, ‘The Ways of Seeing’. Any single thing I look at I try and look at from multiple perspectives.”

What makes someone stand out in business or in life?

“Passion and focus. You have to be passionate but don’t get distracted chasing coins.”

What’s the best advice you’ve received?

“Take time to think and don’t let negativity affect you.”

How do you want to be remembered?

“Someone who is genuine and believes what he does and pushing boundaries.”

To hear how Erik Seversen hitchhikes from London to Zaire survives a gun in his mouth and more adventure, download and listen to the show!

Jesse loves connecting and hearing from his listeners:

Jesse Cole is a passionate and engaging business leader sharing other leaders messages, tips and fresh ideas on Business Done Differently. Subscribe to hear more front runners doing it differently and remember to leave him a rating and review on iTunes.

Thanks toPodcast Pilot for the editing, show notes and publication. They take care of it all!

Chris Dalzell is the owner of Shoreline Construction, a custom home builder in the Bluffton, SC area. His company has grown from remodeling homes to model homes and now as a custom home builder. He’s been motivated and influenced by Jesse to do business differently.

“We always had good customer service...We want to take it to the next level.” - Chris Dalzell

Working His Way Up

Chris started his custom home building company at the bottom of the economy. In those tough years, he built zero homes. To keep the doors open he took all of the remodeling jobs he could.

With the help of family, Chris was finally able to build a model home. He grew a bit and partnered with a future client to build him a custom home with no fee. The client covered the construction costs then allowed Chris to show it for a year!

Chris Dalzell Focuses

Over the last few years, he’s made a dramatic change to the customer experience. Chris continues to learn all he can and has always had a business coach, but through all of the training, he came home with too many new ideas and they would never get implemented.

“I’m investing back into my client.” -Chris Dalzell

Chris would have so much good stuff to work with but no idea where to start. He heard Jesse speak and hammering home to focus, focus, focus. When Chris returned home, he decided to pick one thing and focus on that as a whole team.

Finishing the House is Not the End

Upon his return to the office, he sat with his team of 15 and they brainstormed. Chris was under the impression that once the house closes the job is complete. A team member piped in said that that is just where his work begins.

Chris knew he wanted to focus on the client and it was time to brainstorm again. He invited his teams’ spouses to the profit sharing dinner. His goal was to get input on what a great customer experience would look like to them.

Final Four

1. What have you done differently in your life to stand out?

“I want to create a unique business, I want to be different.”

2. What makes someone stand out in business or in life?

“You have to be different than the competition. Sit down with your team and have them be a part of it. Empowerment is everything.”

3. What’s the best advice you’ve received?

“Create a vision. Creating a vision for my company and our team. To sit down and figure out our core values. Do you really use those to filter through the decisions you make in your life.”

4. How do you want to be remembered?

“A great friend, husband, father, Christian and man.”

To hear how Chris creates such an incredible customer experience using iPads and videos, download and listen to Chris Dalzell!

Jesse loves connecting and hearing from his listeners:

Jesse Cole is a passionate and engaging business leader sharing other leaders messages, tips and fresh ideas on Business Done Differently. Subscribe to hear more front runners doing it differently and remember to leave him a rating and review on iTunes.

Thanks to Podcast Pilot for the editing, show notes and publication. They take care of it all!

Since 2015, Ben Hardy is the #1 writer on Medium.com. His writing focuses on self-improvement, motivation, and entrepreneurship. Ben writes by pulling from his personal experiences, self-directed education, and formal education.

Ben is also a Phd candidate for Industrial and Organizational Psychology at Clemson University. His research focuses on the psychological differences of wannabe entrepreneurs and actual entrepreneurs (dreamers vs. doers).

Ben Hardy the Writer

As a blog author, Ben has built a 7-figure online business and built an email list of over 300,000! Now he’s written his first book ‘Willpower Doesn’t Work’. You can preorder your copy and get 2 of Ben’s online courses for free! Just click on the link in the ‘Resources’ links.

“If you want a different life, you must be a different person” - Ben Hardy

Keys to Business Done Differently

Ben views business as developing mastery in whatever you are doing but it is also about investing in yourself and investing in relationships. When you invest in yourself the goal is to upgrade your subconscious mind to upgrade your mindset.

When you invest in relationships, it's about creating closeness with the right mentors. It’s about giving your skills to the right people. If you invest in yourself and in relationships, you’ll upgrade your environment.

A Volatile Household

Ben’s parents divorced when he was 11 and their divorce was rough. Addiction is not genetic, it’s the product of pain and trauma. The divorce crushed Ben’s dad and sent him into a tailspin of drug addiction. His single mom did what she could but his environment was volatile.

After barely graduating high school, Ben found himself sitting around playing video games all day. Just to get out, at the age of 19 he started running. Short distances at first then longer and longer runs in the middle of the night.

Running for Clarity

Running gave Ben an escape from the triggers of home. He was able to escape and find some clarity and figure out what he wanted to do with himself. Ben made a decision to remove himself from his volatile environment.

Ben joined a mission to get away. Over two years time he found a new identity. As soon as he left he felt empowered to be anything he wanted to be. He went from playing video games all day to working very hard and giving his time and attention to other people.

Final Four

What have you done differently in your life to stand out?

“Continuous learning and reading over 100 books a year”

What makes someone stand out in business or in life?

“Invest in yourself to go from dreamer to doer.”

What’s the best advice you’ve received?

Do what is right, let the consequence follow.”

How do you want to be remembered?

“Some who did their best to help other people and to live according to his own value system”

To hear the rest of what Ben Hardy has to say including the Tesla Effect, download and listen to the entire episode!

Jesse Cole is a passionate and engaging business leader sharing other leaders messages, tips and fresh ideas on Business Done Differently. Subscribe to hear more front runners doing it differently and remember to leave him a rating and review on iTunes.

Thanks to Podcast Pilot for the editing, show notes and publication. They take care of it all!

Darren Jacklin is a world-class professional speaker, corporate trainer, investor and philanthropist. He’s gone from his childhood business, ‘Rent-A-Kid’ and today he owns private islands. Darren opens up with Jesse about his tumultuous youth, eventual homelessness, near-death experiences and how he’s overcome those obstacles to be where he is today.

“Life lessons are blessings in disguise.” - Darren Jacklin

Darren Jacklin Proving Himself

Darren has always felt the need to prove his self-worth to others. He was driven internally by his ego and arrogance to really strive to be something better. He was put down by the school system and labeled by people as crazy.

“I took massive action...I knocked on doors and learned how to cold call. That built my self-confidence, getting rejected.” - Darren Jacklin

His first steps were to see a therapist, hire coaches and join a mastermind group. Darren had to take an inside look at himself and determine if he was an attractive person because the person you are attracts success.

School vs. Life Experiences

It wasn’t about going to school to be a successful person. It was about the journal of his journey that got him to where he was. Today schools teach you to create a resume or curriculum vitae (CV) as your means to landing a job.

“Success is not something you go out into the world and pursue; success is something you attract by something you become.” -Darren Jacklin

In the real world, companies do their due diligence. They research candidates online. They look at your public profiles on the various social media platforms. They want to know what type of a human being your.

It’s surprising to know that if you have a large following, companies look at you as a good candidate. You become their brand ambassador to your followers and connections.

Flip the Script

Where Darren plays host and asks Jess a question.

What is the greatest experience you have had so far wearing your yellow tuxedo and hat?

“It was when I proposed to my wife in front of a sold-out stadium, in the yellow tuxedo. I stopped the game in the middle of the game in the eighth inning. I dropped to a knee in front of 4000 people. I had the ring inside a baseball...she said yes and fireworks go off in the stadium and we delayed the game for like 25 minutes. The players were wondering if they were ever going to play again. No matter how many sellouts and wins, that moment I will never forget.

Final Four

What have you done differently in your life to stand out?

Achieving massive action. Getting attention in a way that is serving perspective. Instead of thinking what is in it for me, I try to find how I can add value.”

What makes someone stand out in business or in life?

“You’re either memorable or forgettable. So be a go-getter. Build personal relationships.

What’s the best advice you’ve received?

“Set goals and write out a plan”

How do you want to be remembered?

“Someone who cared and someone who made a difference and someone who pays the rent through philanthropy and humanitarian services.”

To hear the rest of what Darren has to say, download and listen to Darren Jacklin Building Success through RelationshipsGuest Links:

Jesse Cole is a passionate and engaging business leader sharing other leaders messages, tips and fresh ideas on Business Done Differently. Subscribe to hear more front runners doing it differently and remember to leave him a rating and review on iTunes.

Pat Mussieux is an award-winning author, coach and speaker. For four years in a row, she’s captivated her audiences to be named the Stevie winner as Female Entrepreneur of the Year in Canada. Pat helps entrepreneurs go from overwhelm to over quota by setting goals and cultivating relationships.

“Every entrepreneur needs a coach, no one can do this alone.” - Pat Mussieux

Goal Setting

Pat works backward for goal setting since most entrepreneurs don’t know how to set a goal. She asks her clients to ask what they are tolerating now. Is it a messy house, a closet full of clothes that don’t fit or a messy car?

“Feed yourself first” - Pat Mussieux

Reverse it! Commit to making your bed every morning, develop the habit and move on. You develop a number one success habit. The first hour of every day should focus on revenue-generating activities for yourself.

Feed Yourself First

Pat Mussieux has 6 non-negotiables every day to take care of herself so she can, in turn, take care of her business. She feeds the body with food, hydration, exercise, meditation, she ends her day with her gratitude journal and gets 8-10 hours of sleep per night. These habits ensure she brings her best game to her business.

“You build the relations and the revenue will take care of itself.” - Jesse Cole

Revenue Generating Activities

Gratitude and appreciation go a long way when you are cultivating contacts and friends and clients. Pat sends thank you notes. She connects with key leaders on social media after events or connections. Pat shares feedback of what she learned and how she is going to implement that knowledge.

Revenue Generating Events

There’s a right way and a wrong way to plan and promote an event. It happens a lot, you create an event and promote the heck out of it and only a few people come. There are so many events out there but unless it’s exciting and fresh there can be event fatigue.

Final Four

What have you done differently in your life to stand out?

“Be true to myself. I have no fear of speaking about my fears, I’m genuine, I’m a risk taker and I am fun”

What makes someone stand out in business or in life?

“Be consistent. Too many entrepreneurs try one thing and then another. Pick one thing, get good at it and be consistent.”

What’s the best advice you’ve received?

“Lou Tice said it best, ‘If it’s to be it’s up to me.’”

How do you want to be remembered?

“I want to be remembered by my life’s mission statement, to come from truth, love more and build a community of love around me.”

To hear what Pat Mussieux has to say next about taking your business to the next level, and a little ‘Truth and Dare’ with Jesse Cole, download and listen to Pat Mussieux Coaching Good Habits and Successful Relationships.

Jesse Cole is a passionate and engaging business leader sharing other leaders messages, tips and fresh ideas on Business Done Differently. Subscribe to hear more front runners doing it differently and remember to leave him a rating and review on iTunes.

Doug Sandler has over 30 years of business experience as an entrepreneur, business owner, manager and staff member. His book, Nice Guys Finish First is a #1 ranked Amazon Best Seller. He specializes in making connections, building relationships and strengthening bonds both inside and outside organizations.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

“You will get more things in life out of being nice than being a jerk”

How To delivery GREAT Customer Service:

Return Your Phone Calls

Return Your Emails

Be on Time, Every Time

Exceed Expectations (Overpromise, under deliver, has got to stop.)

Communicate Effectively with Your Customers in a language That They Understand

“Mistakes are bound to happen, it’s what happens next that really counts.”

“Customer Service…I’m going to deliver a year and a half of service where you’re going to get 4 hours of service from my competitor.”

“Most people feel like nice is a sign of weakness, and nice is one of those character flaws that you have, and nice makes you a yes man. I really do feel like being nice has differentiated me from catching people in the act of doing something right, as opposed to catching them in the act of doing something wrong.”

“A lot of people tend to get bogged down in the failure and let it hurt their ego…just keep moving.

FINAL FOUR

What have you done differently in your life to stand out?

“I’ve returned my calls, my emails. I’ve been on time, every time, I’ve exceeded expectations, and I reach out and communicate with my customers…. That’s the Nice Guy 30. It’s 5 steps, 30 days, easiest thing ever.”

What makes someone stand out in business or in life?

“Return your calls, return your emails, be on time, every time, exceed expectations, and reach out and communicate with your customers.”

What’s the best advice you’ve received?

“It’s OK to fail… And if I fail, that someone, or somebody, or something would help me get out of that, even if that person was myself.”

Dorie Clark is a marketing strategy consultant, professional speaker, and frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review. Recognized as a “branding expert” by the Associated Press, Fortune, and Inc. magazine, she is the author of Entrepreneurial You, Reinventing You, and Stand Out, which was named the #1 Leadership Book of 2015 by Inc. magazine and one of the Top 10 Business Books of the Year by Forbes.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

“The biggest lesson that I draw from it…It’s really hard for anyone, to in the moment, understand the macro forces at play…Change can happen overnight, and we are not able to see it at the time. So, we need to be as resilient as possible to prepare for these unexpected situations. And be willing and excited to reinvent ourselves.”

“As we have all seen in a lot of different areas of our lives, clearing out the stuff that doesn’t work makes room for the stuff that does.”

“I value trying to bring people together in a way that makes them feel comfortable and included…Community building is really important, but a lot of people do it in a way that is exclusive.”

“What are the assumptions that people are making in my field and what circumstances might have changed that would alter or impact those assumptions.”

“Whatever you are, be a good one.”

“I’m a big believer in what gets measured gets done.”

“We need to think how to scale our efforts. How to do it once and share it with the world. If you want your ideas to have maximum impact, we need to figure out how to make our voices go louder and further, with the same amount of effort. If we can scale our ideas, that is where we can start to make a difference.”

“The framework for how you can build a following around your ideas: First you build a network, then you build an audience, then you build a community.”

“Carve out more white space because that’s where ideas grow.”

FINAL FOUR

What have you done differently in your life to stand out?

I’ve been out as a gay person since I was 14. If you can just be like, ‘Yeah, that’s my deal…’, that kind of sends a message to other people too that they can be themselves.

What makes someone stand out in business or in life?

I’m a huge proponent of content creation…. One of the most important things you can do if you want to become a recognized expert, is you have to create content. Otherwise people literally just won’t know what your ideas are. And so, therefore, they can’t tell if you are an expert that should be recognized.

What’s the best advice you’ve received?

Not getting an office.

How do you want to be remembered?

As somebody who helped other people figure out how to crack the code to get their best ideas heard. I would really like to improve society by getting talented people to contribute and to have their ideas appreciated and recognized rather than just the people with the loudest voices in the room.

Jeffrey Shaw is the host of the popular business podcast Creative Warriors, a featured storyteller on The Moth, and a nationally acclaimed keynote speaker. He speaks at creative and business conferences on the topics of marketing, branding, customer relations, and sales. For more than three decades, Jeffrey, a.k.a. the Lingo Guy has been one of the most sought-after portrait photographers in the U.S. and uses this honed intuition developed as a photographer to teach entrepreneurs how to attract their ideal customers by speaking their Secret Language.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

“We’re going to look at business not only differently, but we’re going to look at it upside down; because the way the rest of the world is doing business, probably isn’t working for you.”

“By nature of being a creative warrior, also what I call an uncommon entrepreneur, you need to do business differently.”

“99% of businesses are built backward in the first place. The way most people go into business is they have a great idea, they’re excited about their idea, they build the business, and then they spend the rest of their lives trying to fit people into that business. Where the right way to build a business, is what I refer to in Lingo as customer-centric.”

“Customer-centric is knowing who your ideal customer is, what their secret language is, and then building a business for them that speaks to them.”

“The validation paradox is that while we’re trying to find ourselves we ultimately realize that we need others”

“One of the greatest advantages of working with your ideal customer is you ultimately find out where you belong, you end up working with people who see more in you than you see in yourself.”

“Grow a community, not a database.”

“Live your goals without your goals becoming your life.”

“Step 1: Know the perspective of your ideal customer. You define your ideal customer not by deciding who they are, but by first understanding who you are best for.”

“Step 3: Present your business in style. Style is a decision maker…we make decisions all day long based on if a style resonates with us or not. When you know your ideal customer, you can create a style that stops them in their tracks.”

“Step 4: Pricing createsperception. With pricing, you can decide what perception you want people to have of your business depending on how high or low you price your service/product.”

“Step 5: Speak to your ideal customer with the words you choose. Words are powerful. Marketing words stand out. One of the processes that I teach in the book is a ‘Stand Out Statement’… 3-7 words that let the world know, let’s your ideal customer know, what you stand for, how you’re a fit for their business and what you can do for them.”

“What I find as the most powerful way of standing out is ‘What is your unique perception about what you do?’…I believe you stand out by being able to convey to the world what your unique perspective is on what you do.”

FINAL FOUR

What have you done differently in your life to stand out?

Express my vulnerability…I do believe in being vulnerable in its right time. I don’t believe in being vulnerable if I’m in any angst and pain. Then it’s too easy to come out as whining and dramatic. But I do open up…And it helps me stand out because it allows my ideal customer o know that I’m with them.

What makes someone stand out in business or in life?

You gotta own it. “You gotta rock what ya mama gave ya.” What makes you different, makes you marketable. And then own it, embody it! I find that the biggest gap in success is that people are 60% into their ownership. Just BE it! When you know what makes you different, own it 120%... And it doesn’t have to be loud, it has to be clear.

What’s the best advice you’ve received?

No one is going to take care of your life as much as you do.

How do you want to be remembered?

I want to be remembered by my kids. And I dedicated Lingo to my kids: “I hope this book gives you something to remember me by more than just my waffles.”

Mark Sanborn, CSP, CPAE, is president of Sanborn & Associates, Inc., an idea studio dedicated to developing leaders in business and in life. Mark is an international bestselling author (Fred Factor, Fred Factor 2.0, and The Encore Effect) and noted expert on leadership, team building, customer service, and change.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

“Cause is not correlation. Just because ten great companies have a gym, doesn’t mean having a gym makes you a great company…So what I try to do, rather than looking for those specifics, I try to be principle-based. Principles don’t change. A principle’s true across time, it’s true across culture and it’s true across context.”

“Communication is about being understood and it’s about understanding. That will never change.”

“Isn’t life not a thousand times too short to bore ourselves?”

“Expectation without education equals frustration.”

“Fred had a simple job, but he brought so much artistry and craft to it that it was amazing…. And what I realized is if Fred could bring that kind of artistry to something as redundant as putting mail in a box, then you and I have no excuse. We all have a bigger canvas to work with and it’s not about the job you have, but how you do the job.”

“The best way to create more Fred’s in your organization is twofold. One is, recognize the ones you’ve already got…. The second thing is to demonstrate it. Be the role model. You can’t demand…what you’re going to do is alienate them.”

“Lord make me a simple man in a complex world…Simple is good.”

“Literally, don’t tower over people. If you don’t want to intimidate [your employees] and you come into their office and they're seated, don’t stand over their desk. Either sit down or take a walk with them so you are literally on the same level.”

“When you don’t see much meaning in what you do, you won’t bring much value to what you do.”

“I’m trying to find new focal points that are the intersection really between 3 things. What I can do (skill set), what I like to do, and what’s profitable…I want to make sure what I’m doing isn’t just enjoyable, that’s a hobby. I want to make sure what I’m doing isn’t just a skillset, that’s a job. But that what I’m doing is profitable, but literally and psychically.”

“I pay my trainer to create resistance. If you don’t encounter resistance you’re not changing and you’re not growing. That’s one of the first clues that you’re getting better when you buck up against resistance.”

“You get passion out of 4 buckets. One is your passion for what you do. Another is your passion about why you do…And then there’s passion about how you do it… The final trump card is to be passionate about who you do it for.”

FINAL FOUR

What have you done differently in your life to stand out?

I think I’ve always been big on preparation. I think that most battles or games are won off the field.

What makes someone stand out in business or in life?

A decided point of view. A definitive point of view. It’s well thought out… Moynihan once said, “We’re all entitled to our own opinions, but we’re not entitled to our own facts.” So I think to stand out in business, you need to be well informed so that your point of view is based in reality, or based in facts so that it’s clear what you stand for and what’s important to you.

What’s the best advice you’ve received?

Spend less than you make.

How do you want to be remembered?

As a guy who wanted to make a positive difference because he loved people. And because he loved people, he led. And when he led, he served…But I think it begins with how you treat the people who are closest to you and that consistently outflows to how you treat the people you encounter every day.

Steve is the visionary founder of Bluefish: the world’s first luxury concierge that delivers the highest level of personalized travel, transportation, and cutting-edge entertainment services to corporate executives, celebrities, professional athletes, and other discerning individuals interested in living life to its fullest.

TAKEAWAYS

“Surround yourself with good people and you’re a combination of those. If all your friends are d***heads, guess which you are?”

“I was trying to be a value to this group…so that I could then ask for a job, but before you knew it I became the guy to go to when you need travel access, events or maybe something that they couldn’t get…I was their guy.”

“Never ask a question that can end up in a no. No one likes to be sold or bought. NOBODY. And the richer you are, the further from that…SO you have to get them into the passion and then ask for the next steps. ‘What needs to happen next?’”

“The good thing about a win-win is you can milk that cow forever…If you create a win-win there’s value in that.”

“People don’t want what they can afford, they want what they can’t get.”

“The key element of exclusivity is it breeds desire and desire has no intelligence behind it. If you can get someone to desire something, you’re working on a different part of their brain cells. And they’re not working on facts now, they’re not working on reason, desire overtakes all of that.”

“If someone says no, I’m asking the wrong person. No is not a roadblock.”

“You know so many people don’t ask questions now? …How can you be amazing if you don’t know the bloody details?”

FINAL FOUR

What have you done differently in your life to stand out?

I refuse to be anybody else.

What makes someone stand out in business or in life?

Stop trying to copy everyone else. I notice that when people start doing an internet business, they buy a hoodie and a pair of pants. They try to be the perception, the look, the feel, the vibe. NO! Be You. It’s what identifies you as being unique to anyone else. Unlearn the words humiliation and embarrassment. Thy don’t exist! They don’t exist. No one ever drowned by falling in the water. They drowned by staying there. So stop worrying about anyone else, stop worrying about falling over. Just keep going.”

What’s the best advice you’ve received?

“No one ever drowned by falling in the water, they drowned by staying there.”